There’s a lot on the agenda at Clemson for this Saturday’s ACC battle with Wake Forest. It’s Homecoming. It’s the annual Breast Cancer Awareness. And it’s the game where Tigers coach Dabo Swinney has the chance to tie Frank Howard as the program’s all-time winningest coach with 165 victories.
Swinney touched on the first two topics early in his Tuesday press conference and brushed off a question about the third calling the game just another game to him. The Tigers are coming off a crucial win for them at Syracuse, a win that got them on the board in the ACC after a pair of losses.
Wake Forest had last weekend off. The Demon Deacons are 3-1 and 0-1 in the ACC. Thus far they are 8th in the ACC in total offense at 426 yards per game, and they are 9th in total defense at 338 yards per game.
Clemson has won 14 straight over the Demon Deacons including a double-overtime win last season in Winston-Salem. The Tigers’ last loss to Wake Forest led to the firing of head coach Tommy Bowden and Swinney’s elevation to head coach. The Tigers own 70 wins all-time over Wake Forest, the second most against all their opponents. They have their most wins, 72, against USC.
Some of Swinney’s key comments:
- Wake Forest is 3-1, a team they were fortunate to beat last season, very skilled and well coached group of receivers, QB is very talented, always have a guy at QB who is crafty.
- Wake Forest has three really good backs, they understand their scheme up front, they have some players up front as well on the defensive line, they have defensive end who is a load off the edge, very experienced in the secondary.
- Wake Forest is a good football team across the board, painful to watch last year’s film on the defensive side, probably one of their worst defensive performances in many years.
- Wake Forest not any different without Hartman at quarterback, their quarterback has been around and is a good player and supported by good receivers, they’ve had an open date to get ready so expect to see a few wrinkles.
- Without the turnovers, they’re 5-0, but that’s football, proud of how his team bounced back from the Florida State loss, still on the quest to be their best, loves this team just had some tough football breaks along the way.
- Looks at getting Tyler Brown as God’s Favor, they had someone decommit and that gave them the opportunity to offer him and get him, a blessing that they got him, great family and he grew up a Clemson fan.
- Brown was a basketball player first until he decided to commit to playing football in high school, many of the best receivers they’ve had were really good basketball players.
- 13 years since the last time they lost back to back games just means they respond, that’s culturally who they are, a windshield mentality, not looking back in the rear view mirror.
- WR Misun Kelley has two more games to play before they redshirt him, he has some surgery he needs to have, he’s played in two games as a result of the injury to Antonio Williams.
